If you’ve ever found yourself at a loss for how to transform plain, straight lines on your papers into sensational, artistic statements, the Decorative Borders Thin Cuts set is the answer! These dies give you so many options for adding fun effects to your artwork. Take a look at all the unique shapes you can get from this one set:

This first photo shows the dies in this set made to cut away the edges of your papers, leaving the rest of the piece in tact. Here you’ll see papers we’ve cut with the small scallop, the fringe border, the large scallop, and the notebook paper dies. Notice that you can repeat these cuts to add the effects to a piece of paper larger than the die, as we did with the small scallop border. Accomplish this by repositioning the die after the first cut and sending it through your embossing machine a second time. Also note the faux stitching detail on both of the scallop borders!

These next two dies are a bit more traditional in that they cut shapes to be used as embellishments. These borders work especially well when layered with other paper strips and accents.

This last group we’ll call our “special effects” dies, for obvious reasons! Rather than cut a complete shape, these borders add patterns while leaving your paper intact. As we saw with the small scallop border, many of these can be repeated over large pieces of paper. Hopefully you also picked out the fun “pull tab” created by the far left die. Let’s get a closer look at what that looks like in artwork!

The pull tab die is a great way to add an interactive element to cards and other artwork. The die is designed to leave tiny connection points down the length of the cut shape, resulting in a perforated paper shape that is easy to tear away, revealing a stamped message beneath. Because this is such a fun effect, we’ve put together a brief tutorial for adding a pull tab to a custom-made envelope.

Start with a 5¾” x 7¾” piece of cardstock for your envelope base. Fold and score the envelope 3 3/8″ up from the bottom.

Next, use a separate 3″ x 5¾” piece of cardstock for the envelope flap. Score the envelope flap 1″ from the top, but leave flat after scoring.

Position the pull-tab die about 3/8″ from the right edge of the envelope flap, centered between the bottom edge and the score line. The die will extend beyond the left edge of the envelope flap, and that is just fine! Once you’ve made sure the die is parallel to the edge of the cardstock, secure it in place using washi tape. Then use your embossing machine to make the cut.

To create the hidden sentiment that will be revealed by the pull tab, cut a 5¾” x ¾” cardstock strip and stamp the sentiment about 1″ from the right edge. For maximum effect, use a different color of cardstock for this strip of paper.

Now attach the hidden sentiment piece to the envelope base as shown. Before gluing in place, check to make sure your sentiment will line up with the pull tab on the envelope flap and position accordingly!

To assemble the envelope, you’ll need two more pieces of cardstock to form the sides of your envelope. Cut these both at 1″ x 3¼” and then score and fold both in half.

Attach the envelope sides and flap to your envelope base, then fold closed, gluing all pieces to the insides of your envelope.

Next add your card and use adhesive to close the envelope flap. When adding adhesive to the inside of the envelope flap, be sure to avoid getting adhesive on the pull tab itself!

There you have it! Have fun adding pull tabs, fringes, and lots of other decorative effects to your artwork using the Decorative Borders Thin Cuts!

As the end of the year approaches, so does the end of our current idea book, Holiday Expressions. And, even though it may a bit taboo to choose a favorite child, we went for it and picked out a few of our favorite products from this catalog to show you just how versatile they really are and that they can be used outside of the holiday season.

First up, the Tree Line Border Thin Cuts.

It’s easy to associate pine trees with Christmas, the majority of us have one dominating our living rooms for the entire month of December (or more!) every year. But, lets not forget that before they got all dressed up for the party these beautiful trees had a more rustic existence.

These tree line dies can be used in multiple ways to invoke a natural scene. Their design allows for you to use one border at a time or to stack the die cuts, as we’ve done here, creating a more dimensional setting.

Another favorite is the My Acrylix® Oh Snap! stamp set.

If you’re reading this post, you’re hanging with the crowd that doesn’t need a holiday to preserve memories. We’re all about capturing life’s moments, no matter the season.

Next up, we chose a more subtle and less obvious embellishment—the Cats & Bats Dots.

We have black and Emerald enamel dots. Yes, they work perfectly with this year’s Halloween collection, but these little guys are a force to be reckoned with all on their own. Embellishments like these are great to have on hand to add a splash of color any time you need it. And the low price means you can really stock up on these babies and use them on project after project!

For the last highlight, even though we love all of our children the same, take a look at what we did with our leaf embossing folder below.

We love so many of our products that will be retiring in just a few weeks, it was difficult to list just a few. Take advantage of your opportunity to snatch up these items while you still can and remember that just because they are featured in the Holiday Expressions idea book doesn’t mean you can’t use them outside of the holidays. Revisit your catalog and take a look at those products again, thinking outside the holiday gift box!

Have you used any of our holiday products in a non-holiday way? Share your creative ideas below! We love hearing from you!

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As your best crafting bud, we’re here to give you the scoop on the latest trends in the crafting industry. One trend that’s been on the rise lately is paper plants—for your home, parties, and everything in between!

Today we want to show you some of our own paper plant creations! We love this trend (especially because it doesn’t make you feel like a bad plant parent), and we have a feeling it will really grow on you, too (Eh? Eh?). 😉

Look at these beauties! We cut the shapes using two of our Cricut® collections (see recipe at bottom of post), and then attached the finished leaves to wire with a hot glue gun. Add them to pots filled with paper crinkle, pebbles, etc, and voila! You’ve got three amazing plants that will live forever!

If making paper plants from scratch seems a bit overwhelming, or if you don’t own a Cricut® machine, we’ve got just the solution for you. Try out our Welcome Home wreath kit, which comes with all the pieces pre-cut AND instructions with step-by-step photos.

The kit’s only available until the end of January though, so if it’s calling your name, get it before it’s gone!

Another fun idea is to play around with arranging paper plants and leaves in picture frames. By slightly bending the leaves here, these plants seem to be growing out of the picture frame.

What do you think of this trend? Yea or nay? Tell us in the comments below!

Ready to make your own paper garden? Then be sure to check out our Cricut® Flower Market collection! It’s filled with tons of flowers, plants, leaves, and other shapes that would be perfect for creating paper plants projects, like this wreath:

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A good piece of patterned paper does a lot to add color and interest to your scrapbook layouts, but its contributions don’t have to end there! You can actually draw on the patterns from the papers themselves to inspire your entire project. To help you see what we’re talking about, take a look at this layout inspired by the Sangria paper packet:

The beautiful tree scattering its leaves across the pages is undoubtedly the first thing you see when you look at this layout, but the idea for those beautiful Sunset leaves started with a pattern from the Sangria paper packet. Do you see them on that strip of Pomegranate paper across the middle of the page? It’s a simple thing, but it sparked a fun idea that became a central element of the page’s design.

Even beyond the leaves, another patterned paper suggested the organizing principle of the page. The bottom strip of Poppy patterned paper with its horizontal rows of leaves gave our artist the idea to use multiple horizontal stripes as a basic design element, which is also repeated as watercolor stripes on the journaling, too. Taking just a few simple cues from the patterned papers, our artist created a beautifully unified layout.

We simply love the Sangria paper packet for fall-themed layouts. The color palette is rich and festive. And the designs are beautiful! From warm ombres to swirls of Sunset leaves, the Sangria paper packet is sure to give you tons of ideas for creating memorable fall layouts.

Next time you’re looking for artwork inspiration, try drawing it from the patterned papers you are working with. They are sure to help you realize your creative potential on any crafting project.

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A new month means a new featured paper collection, and for October, Sangria is the belle of the ball! We love this vibrant paper collection, especially for creating fall layouts. The rich, warm tones capture the colors of the landscape preparing for winter.

Today, we’re going to talk about three perfect companions for the Sangria paper collection that will help you take your fall artwork to a whole new level. To begin, take a look at this back to school fall layout:

It has so much warmth! The quilt pattern on the right page even makes you what to wrap yourself up in a giant quilt and sip some warm cocoa from your favorite mug. This layout uses all three elements to enhance Sangria and produce fantastic fall artwork. Let’s dive in!

1. Gold. And more gold!

Anything gold pairs wonderfully with Sangria. Try your hand at some Picture My Life™ gold overlays. Our artist used them to liven up squares of cardstock in the quilt pattern. See the polka dots and the “life is GOOD” sentiment? You’ve got it—overlays! The “ADVENTURE” sticker with gold lettering is from our Fundamentals stickers Basics pack, and, of course, we’ve got some gold sequins in the mix, too. All these gold bits add warmth to this fall layout.

2. Anything Saffron, Peacock, and Fern

These exclusive colors work hand in hand with the Sangria color palette. On this layout, you can see how well these cardstocks pair with the Poppy and Pomegranate colored B&T Duos™. You can also see Saffron and Fern ink in the leaf stamps.

3. Rock N’ Roll Stamping

When you think of fall, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is leaves: multi-colored, fading from green to amber and amber to crimson. Well, what better way to replicate that look than with the rock n’ roll stamping technique! Take a look at this stamping technique in action:

Ready to rock n’ roll at home? First, stamp the leaf image in the lighter color. Then clean your stamp, and place the edge of the stamp on the darker stamp pad. Roll the stamp around so ink only gets on the outer edge of the stamp. Then stamp over the first image, and there you have it! For a visual how-to, check out our rock n’ roll Instagram video!

As you may have noticed, not all of the leaves have the darker ink all the way around the perimeter. You can certainly ink just one edge of the stamp—get creative! It’s a lot of fun, and there are a lot of looks you can discover!

Now you have three great tips for creating warm, fall-themed artwork using our Sangria paper collection. Show us what YOU can do with Sangria by typing #ctmhsangria in your post when you share your artwork on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We want to see your creativity at work!

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Those of you who’ve already gotten your hands on our Nevermore paper packet probably have grand plans for fall and Halloween-themed layouts. Well, here’s another idea for you to try out 🙂 :

This fun, festive banner comes together quickly and easily with a little help from our Cricut® Artbooking and Artistry collections and, of course, the Nevermore paper packet.

What a great project to do with young children or grandchildren. They would love to watch the Cricut® cut out the leaves (because it’s even exciting for us adults to watch!), and then they could help slide the leaves onto the thread. If you don’t have any small children around, this would also be a relaxing project to work on while enjoying a little “me” time watching your favorite Julia Roberts movie and sipping some warm apple cider.

And did you notice the stamped leaves our artist colored in with the ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ markers? With the help of last week’s post about using these markers with our stamps, you could easily do this at home. The My Acrylix® Thankful Heart stamp set supplied the leaf images, which add such character to the banner. You could even add different stamps or embellishments to match other elements of your home décor.

There are so many works of art you can create with the Nevermore paper packet. Share you own Nevermore artwork by using the hashtag #ctmhnevermore, or search for this hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more artwork inspiration from the Close To My Heart community.

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Jeanette Lynton

Meet Jeanette Lynton—wife, mother, artist, and Founder & CEO of one of the world’s leading companies in the papercrafting industry. This blog is dedicated to all who share her love of creativity. Visit often, share your stories, and become family!

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